Javascript is currently not supported, or is disabled by this browser. Please enable Javascript for full functionality.

   
    Dec 05, 2025  
2025-2026 Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Catalog

Undergraduate Degree and Certificate Requirements


Students seeking conferral of an undergraduate certificate or bachelor’s degree at Fort Lewis College must meet curricular, academic achievement, and residency requirements. Exceptions to curricular requirements may be made through the Exceptions to Graduation Requirements process. Applications for certificate and diploma conferral may be made at the beginning of each semester. Those approved for conferral of a degree may participate in that semester’s commencement ceremonies.


Click on any link to be taken to the entry below.

 


Applying for Graduation
 

^TOP

Once a student is on track to fulfill degree or certificate requirements by the end of a term, the student is required to submit an Application for Graduation to the Registrar’s Office. See the Graduation Guide webpage for step-by-step procedures.

It is the student’s responsibility to know their degree or certificate requirements, and that all requirements are met. The catalog is the official source of all degree and certificate requirements.

An approved Application for Graduation does not guarantee the student will be awarded a degree or certificate at the end of the term. The Registrar’s Office will determine whether a student has successfully completed degree or certificate requirements after final grades are posted. If the Registrar determines that the student has completed all requirements, their diploma will be mailed approximately 8 weeks after the term ends.

Commencement
 

^TOP

Commencement at Fort Lewis College is both a celebratory and solemn occasion that recognizes and honors a major life passage for the institution’s graduates. Commencement ceremonies are held twice per year: one in December following the fall semester, and one in late April or early May following the spring semester. A student with an approved Application for Graduation for spring and summer may participate in the April/May commencement ceremony. Those approved for fall may participate in the December commencement ceremony. A student may participate in only one of the commencement ceremonies. See the Commencement Ceremony Webpage for commencement information.

Certificates 

Certificates may be awarded to students pursuing an initial bachelor’s degree or students seeking a certificate. If a student is pursuing award of a certificate as part of their baccalaureate degree program, the curriculum requirements must be completed prior to the award of the degree.

Course Program of Study (CPOS) and Financial Aid

CPOS is a requirement by the U.S. Department of Education and the State of Colorado. Only courses required for a student’s declared major count toward eligibility for federal and state financial aid, including Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, Federal and State Work-study, Federal Direct Loans, Colorado Student Grant, and Afghanistan Service Awards. Non-required courses may reduce or cancel a student’s aid. Students should work with their academic advisor to declare or change their major to ensure that they are on track with completing eligible courses, and should contact Financial Aid if they have additional questions.

 

Double Major 

^TOP

 A double major is defined as completing the requirements of two different majors simultaneously, resulting in the awarding of either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree.

Exceptions to Published Degree Requirements

^TOP
 
Once the Catalog is published, sometimes changes or exceptions to degree requirements are needed. These updates are made through online forms handled by the Registrar’s Office and Academic Affairs. Exceptions or adjustments to Liberal Arts Core requirements are made at the discretion of the Associate Provost.

Blanket Exceptions 

Blanket exceptions are made when a department determines that a specific group of students needs a change to their degree plan. These requests must specify the catalog year(s), program of study and specific degree requirement that is being changed. 

The steps for approving blanket exceptions are:

  1. A faculty or staff member submits the request.
  2. The Department Chair reviews the request and approves it. 
  3. The Associate Dean gives final approval. 

Once the request is approved, the change is noted in the catalog.   

Individual Exceptions

Individual exceptions are for students who have special or unusual situations. These requests are initiated by the student and their academic advisor. They must include:

  1. The student’s catalog year and program of study.
  2. The specific requirement they are requesting an exception to.
  3. The reason for the request.
  4. Any other helpful documents related to the request.  
     

The steps for approving an individual exception are:

  1. The student and advisor submit the request online.
  2. The Department Chair reviews and approves it.
  3. The Associate Dean gives final approval.  
     

If the exception is approved, it is added to the student’s academic record and used when checking if they’ve met graduation requirements.  
 

Important: An approved exception for one student or circumstance is not a guarantee that others will get the same. Each situation is different, and the college reviews every request separately. 

Requirements for Candidates Seeking Initial Bachelor’s Degree

^TOP

Each candidate for a first bachelor’s degree must complete a minimum of 120 credits (additional credits are required in selected majors). Among the minimum of 120 credits, a minimum of 36 credits must be upper-division (300- and 400-level) courses.

All curricular requirements for the Liberal Arts Core and at least one major must be met. Many students choose to use free electives to complete the requirements for a certificate, minor or teacher licensure.

Students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 and a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for those courses accepted to meet the requirements for the major, a certificate or minor.

A minimum of 30 credits must be completed at Fort Lewis College. College-sponsored off-campus academic experiences are considered “in residence.”

Minors

Minors, though not required, may be awarded to students pursuing an initial bachelor’s degree.  A maximum of two minors may be awarded. If a student is pursuing award of a minor as part of their baccalaureate degree program, the curriculum requirements must be completed prior to the award of the degree.

Certificates

Certificates may be awarded to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree. If a student is pursuing award of a certificate as part of their baccalaureate degree program, the curriculum requirements must be completed prior to the award of the degree.

Mutually Exclusive Programs

The table below lists combinations of programs that are mutually exclusive.

If you major in a program in the left column, the program in the right column on the same row is unavailable.

Clarifications:

  1. The list of prohibited Program of Study (POS) combinations published in the active Catalog applies to all prior Catalog years.
  2. Students who already have a prohibited POS combination on record prior to the publication of the current list are permitted to retain that combination. The Registrar’s Office will not track discrete credits between the programs.
  3. Exceptions to these prohibitions are not permitted.
  4. Once a student finishes one of the programs on the prohibited list, they are allowed to complete the other program later as a Post-Baccalaureate student. The Registrar’s Office will not track discrete credits between the programs.
    • Example: A student who completes the Studio Art major may return as a Post-Baccalaureate student to complete the Art K–12 Education major.

If you Major in:

Then this Major/Minor is Unavailable:

MAJOR IN: Art K-12 Education Major  MAJOR IN: Studio Art
MAJOR IN: Studio Art MAJOR IN: Art K-12 Education Major 
MAJOR IN: Studio Art MINOR IN: Studio Art
MAJOR IN: Accounting MINOR IN: Accounting
MAJOR IN: Accounting MAJOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Accounting MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Adventure Education MINOR IN: Adventure Education
MAJOR IN: Anthropology MINOR IN: Anthropology
MAJOR IN: Anthropology MINOR IN: Applied Anthropology
MAJOR IN: Biochemistry MINOR IN: Chemistry
MAJOR IN: Borders and Languages MINOR IN: Borders and Languages
MAJOR IN: Business Economics MINOR IN: Economics
MAJOR IN: Business Economics MAJOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Business Economics MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Business Administration MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Business Administration MINOR IN: Data Analysis
MAJOR IN: Business Administration MINOR IN: Global Business
MAJOR IN: Business Administration MINOR IN: Tourism and Hospitality
MAJOR IN: Cellular and Molecular Biology MAJOR IN: Environmental Biology: Wildlife, Plant, and Ecological Science
MAJOR IN: Cellular and Molecular Biology MAJOR IN: Integrative Biology 
MAJOR IN: Cellular and Molecular Biology MINOR IN: Biology 
MAJOR IN: Chemistry MINOR IN: Chemistry
MAJOR IN: Communication Design MINOR IN: Communication Design
MAJOR IN: Computer Information Systems MAJOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Computer Information Systems MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Criminology and Justice Studies MINOR IN: Criminology and Justice Studies
MAJOR IN: Criminology and Justice Studies MAJOR IN: Sociology and Human Services
MAJOR IN: Economics MAJOR IN: Economics
MAJOR IN: Engineering MINOR IN: Engineering
MAJOR IN: English MINOR IN: English
MAJOR IN: Entrepreneurship and Small Business MINOR IN: Entrepreneurship and Small Business
MAJOR IN: Entrepreneurship and Small Business MAJOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Entrepreneurship and Small Business MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Environmental Biology: Wildlife, Plant, and Ecological Science MAJOR IN: Cellular and Molecular Biology
MAJOR IN: Environmental Biology: Wildlife, Plant, and Ecological Science MAJOR IN: Integrative Biology 
MAJOR IN: Environmental Biology: Wildlife, Plant, and Ecological Science MINOR IN: Biology 
MAJOR IN: Environmental Conservation and Management   MAJOR IN:  Environmental Science
MAJOR IN: Environmental Conservation and Management MINOR IN: Environmental Policy
MAJOR IN: Environmental Science MINOR IN: Environmental Science
MAJOR IN: Exercise Health and Promotion MINOR IN: Exercise Science
MAJOR IN: Exercise Physiology MINOR IN: Exercise Science
MAJOR IN: Gender and Sexuality Studies MINOR IN: Gender and Sexuality Studies
MAJOR IN: Geology MINOR IN: Geology
MAJOR IN: History MINOR IN: History
MAJOR IN: History MINOR IN: Heritage Preservation
MAJOR IN: Integrative Biology  MAJOR IN: Cellular and Molecular Biology
MAJOR IN: Integrative Biology  MAJOR IN: Environmental Biology: Wildlife, Plant, and Ecological Science
MAJOR IN: Integrative Biology  MINOR IN: Biology 
MAJOR IN: Journalism and Media MINOR IN: Journalism and Multimedia Studies
MAJOR IN: Marketing MINOR IN: Marketing
MAJOR IN: Marketing MAJOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Marketing MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Mathematics MINOR IN: Mathematics
MAJOR IN: Music MINOR IN: Music
MAJOR IN: Music Business MINOR IN: Entrepreneurship and Small Business
MAJOR IN: Musical Theatre MINOR IN: Theatre
MAJOR IN: Native American and Indigenous Studies MINOR IN: Native American and Indigenous Studies
MAJOR IN: Nutrition MINOR IN: Nutrition
MAJOR IN: Philosophy MINOR IN: Philosophy
MAJOR IN: Physics MINOR IN: Physics
MAJOR IN: Political Science MINOR IN: Political Science
MAJOR IN: Psychology MINOR IN: Psychology
MAJOR IN: Public Health MINOR IN: Public Health
MAJOR IN: Quantitative Business Analysis MAJOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Quantitative Business Analysis MINOR IN: Business Administration
MAJOR IN: Sociology and Human Services MINOR IN: Sociology and Human Services
MAJOR IN: Sociology and Human Services MAJOR IN: Criminology and Justice Studies
MAJOR IN: Sport Administration MINOR IN: Exercise Science
MAJOR IN: Studio Art MINOR IN: Studio Art
MAJOR IN: Studio Art MAJOR IN: Art K-12 Education Major 
MAJOR IN: Theatre MINOR IN: Theatre
MAJOR IN: Theatre MINOR IN: Musical Theatre
MAJOR IN: Writing MINOR IN: Writing

Requirements for Candidates Seeking a Second Bachelor’s Degree

^TOP

Students who have earned a first bachelor’s degree at a regionally accredited institution (including Fort Lewis College) may pursue a second bachelor’s degree. Each candidate for a second bachelor’s degree holding a bachelor’s from any institution other than FLC must complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence at FLC.

All curricular requirements for the Liberal Arts Core must be met unless the candidate has an earned Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. All curricular requirements for at least one major must be met. Students who have previously completed a certificate or minor while attending any institution (including Fort Lewis College) may select that field of study for a major. Students may pursue a double major, certificate, or minor, subject to the same conditions that apply to students seeking an initial bachelor’s degree.

Students must achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 and a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for those courses accepted to meet the requirements for the major and any certificate or minor.

Requirements for Candidates Seeking an Undergraduate Certificate

^TOP

Candidates for award of an undergraduate certificate independent of the award of a baccalaureate degree must complete all curricular requirements for the certificate, achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.00 and a minimum grade point average of 2.00 for those courses accepted to meet the requirements for the certificate, and complete at least 50% of the credits required for the certificate at Fort Lewis College.

No honors will be awarded for certificates.

Student Marshals

^TOP

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs selects two student marshals for the spring commencement and two student marshals for the fall commencement. Only students admitted as degree-seeking students are eligible for the honor.  Selection is based on highest cumulative grade point average, and, in cases of ties, diversity of academic programs.